Congratulations on your decision to quit smoking! I hope you will do some reading to better understand this addiction. We've seen a fair number of people who tried using vaping as a quit smoking tool and ended up just trading one addiction for another. Because vaping is available anytime, anywhere, they ended up with a stronger addiction than they had with cigarettes. There are other Nicotine Replacement Therapies that are not as addictive that can help. I mention them further on in this welcome.
An important thing you can do right now is to educate yourself on what nicotine does to our body and mind. I was amazed when I learned that the stress reduction you feel when you ingest nicotine is caused by the brain receptors calming that have gradually built in volume jonesing for their next fix! I highly recommend Allen Carr's “The Easy Way to Stop Smoking” that brings light two other things you might not know. You can purchase a digital version online or borrow it at your local library. Here is a video to inform you further about nicotine addiction: Nicotine and Your Brain.
I quit many years ago , and I base my overall recommendations on my experience and that of others here over the years. If you decide to use a quit aid, I recommend those that don't let the addict control the dose such as Rx drugs and the patch. Lozenges and gum are fine, but don't sub them for every cigarette you used to smoke. That will simply be substituting one addiction for another. Have a plan to reduce use over time. Each cigarette you smoked contained about 1 mg of nicotine. If you use more than one form of NRT, be sure you aren't getting more than when you smoked.
To better deal with the habit part of the addiction, change up your routines so the smoking associations are reduced. Drink your coffee with your OTHER hand in a place different from when you smoked. Maybe switch to tea for a bit. If you always had that first smoke with your coffee, try putting your walking shoes on right out of bed, going for a quick walk, then taking your shower and THEN your coffee! . Take a different route to work. Take a quick walk at break time where the smokers AREN'T.
After you have eliminated as many associations as you can, you need to distract yourself through any craves. You can take a bite out of a lemon (yup - rind and all), do a few jumping jacks, go for a brisk walk or march in place, play a computer game. Keep a cold bottle of water with you. Don't let that smoking thought rattle around in your brain unchallenged. You might visit Games: The active ones are at the top of the list going down the left side of the page.
Here is a link to a list of things to do instead of smoke if you need some fresh ideas:
The conversation in your head in response to the "I want a cigarette" thought needs to be, "Well, since I have decided not to do that anymore, what shall I do instead for the three minutes this crave will last?" Then DO it. You will need to put some effort into this in the early days, but it gets easier and easier to do.
You might want to join other site members by taking the daily pledge when you quit. It helps to hold yourself accountable and also accountable to others here. Find it at Home (top left), then first box titled Take the Daily Pledge.
Stay close to us here and ask questions when you have them and for support when you need it. We will be with you every step of the way!
Welcome to the community @codimartinez read the links Nancy suggested and stay close and reach out whenever you need to or just want to vent we're all here to help you in any way we can you've got this believe it!
@codimartinez Welcome to the Ex and congrats on your upcoming quit. Smoking and vaping are both sources of nicotine. Have you thought about using a quit aid? Many of us found success using an aid to help with the early days of withdrawal.
Take the time to learn about quitting. It took me 50 years and multiple attempts, but when I found the Ex I learned what it takes to be successful. Knowledge and preparation are key to a successful quit. This link has some great information to get you started.
Reinforce your quit by joining many of us on the Daily Pledge to stay on track one day at a time.
We're here to encourage you, so reach out anytime you want to share your experience or need some help. Spending time on the site is another great quit tool.
Look forward to celebrating with you on the 13th. It will be new beginning!
Welcome @codimartinez! My name is Quiana, and I am a part of the EX Team. Congratulations on your decision to quit! I wanted to reach out and personally welcome you to the EX Community! We are so excited you have joined us. This is a very supportive community so feel free to keep us all posted on your quit journey reach out and let us know if you need anything.
Here are some articles that might be helpful as you prepare for your quit date:
I think if you feel like it's a step in the right direction then it may be okay- just beware the danger of exchanging the cigarette for the vape. There are plenty of people who would tell you picking up the vape is the worst thing they ever did because all of a sudden you can get that nicotine anytime anywhere. Which eventually can make it that much harder to kick. So you see, it can be a step in the wrong direction. I never vaped but I smoked for almost 30 years. I had to finally say "I'm DONE, no more, enough is enough". Once you are truly ready to kick the addiction and cut the expense and the health risk out of your life for good then you can quit and you won't want to trade one nicotine vehicle for another. I hope you will find your way through. I'll be rooting for you.
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